Vis

Stop to visit a former military island located on half way to Italy – Vis

Out of all the Croatian islands, Vis is the most mysterious one – even to the locals. Being the most distant Central Dalmatian island, Vis spent much of its recent history serving as a military base for the Yugoslav National Army, cut off from foreign visitors from the 1950s right up until 1989. The isolation preserved the island from development and drove much of the population to move elsewhere in search of work, leaving it underpopulated for many years.

As has happened with impoverished islands across the Mediterranean, Vis’ lack of development has become its draw card as a tourist destination. International and local travelers alike now flock to Vis, seeking authenticity, nature, gourmet delights and peace and quiet.

The tiny islet of Biševo, next to the island of Vis, has little to offer other than vineyards and pine trees, which makes it ideal to explore on a bike. What makes it appealing to a number of tourists is the spectacular Blue Cave (Modra Špilja). Between 11am and noon the sun’s rays pass through an underwater opening in this coastal cave to bathe the interior in an unearthly blue light. Beneath the crystal-blue water, rocks glimmer in silver and pink to a depth of 16m. Sounds perfect, right?